Maid trapped in blazing flat at Balestier rescued by SCDF

SINGAPORE: A maid was trapped in a blazing flat in Balestier on Saturday morning.

This was due to the result of a fire that broke out on the fourth floor of Jalan Rajah Block 108 at around 1 am.

Fire fighters had to cut open an iron gate to rescue the maid.

She was taken to the Singapore General Hospital for observation, along with another woman who was in the unit directly above.

Residents on several floors of the block were evacuated by police as a safety precaution.

"The fire got bigger and bigger. And then at the same time there’s one maid shouting within the house," recalled Chionh Chye Beng, an eighth—floor resident. "And finally, we saw her, managed to come to the iron gate, and yet couldn’t come out. There were attempts by one of the residents trying to hammer the iron gate open, but still unable to do anything until the SCDF people arrived."

— CNA/yb